Liberia is under a terrible medical condition as the dreaded Ebola virus continues to infect and kill many of the patients in the country. As of the latest headcount, over 1,000 Liberians had already succumbed to the highly infectious disease. To make matters even worse, some officials have not returned to the country yet to help out.
Although the reasons for their departure in Liberia are unclear, 10 government officials have not gone back despite the call and warning from president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. These missing-in-action officials included 2 commissioners, 2 deputy ministers, and 6 assistant ministers. For failing to heed, they are now officially fired from their duties effectively immediately.
In a statement issued by the president's office in light of the non-return and subsequent sacking, these officials were insensitive and insubordinate for their lack of regard to higher authority.
In the meantime, President Sirleaf has already reached out to the United States for help in controlling Ebola, especially since the World Health Organization (WHO) extended their time of containment from 9 to as long as 18 months.
Based on a tweet from the WHO, there are already over 4,500 reported cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, of which no less than 2,400 had already died, including health care workers who contracted the disease after working closely with the patients.
A couple of days ago, Liberia's defense minister Brownie Samukai sees Ebola as a huge threat to the national existence of their country. Speaking in front of the UN Security Council, he pointed out how the rapidly spreading disease is destroying everything that comes in front of it and that the country lacks the needed resources to combat it. Liberia was under a civil war that lasted for over a decade, damaging many of its important infrastructures.
It also has a very poor health care system, and their communities lack professionally trained health care workers. On the other hand, some doctors who are helping fight the disease are doing so with the right protective gear and adequate pay.
